At the 2025 VNL Hong Kong station, a strong matchup occurred, where Japan faced off against Italy, the reigning Olympic champions. The match reached the fifth set, tied at 15-15, and although Japan couldn't avenge their previous defeat, the rising star Yuki Watanabe is someone to watch.

On the 20th, the 2025 World Volleyball League (VNL),the Hong Kong station showcased a rematch of the last finals, where the world number one and Paris Olympic gold medalists Italy faced Japan. The two teams battled it out until the fifth set, reaching a tie at 15-15. Japan could not exact revenge for their previous defeat, but the new star Yuki Watanabe is certainly promising.

Japan's "top scorer," Yuki Watanabe.

On a Friday night without the Chinese women's volleyball team, the Hong Kong station hosted another fierce battle — a rematch of the last finals, with Japan facing off against Italy, the Paris Olympic gold medalists. The Japanese team sought to avenge their earlier loss, but the Kai Tak Sports Centre was only about 70% full, with both teams having sparse seating in the front rows. However, each side had dedicated fans, with the cheers for Japan being particularly loud, almost as if they had half a home court advantage.

This match featured a showdown between the two teams' "top scorers," Paola Egonuand Yuki Watanabe. The former has been the MVP for the past two seasons and is regarded as the world's strongest attacker, with a spike speed reaching 112.7 km/h, holding the record for the fastest spike in women's volleyball. Watanabe is also a formidable player, and each of her spikes excites the crowd. Before the match, the two players were only separated by a single point in this season's cumulative scores, with Watanabe slightly ahead.

Italy's "top scorer," Paola Egonu,

opened the scoring with an attack from the two "top scorers," but Egonu's spike was saved, allowing Japan to take the first point through Watanabe. Early in the game, Watanabe made an out-of-bounds attack but successfully challenged it, revealing the ball had touched the opposing hand first. Conversely, Egonu's score was overturned after a challenge. Japan had three service errors in a single set, but Watanabe managed to score with a back-row attack, leading Japan to a 12-8 advantage, forcing Italy to call for a timeout. Egonuthen responded with a spike that found the corner, scoring while Japanese players could only watch the ball hit the ground. Watanabe maintained her power from the back row, and even after a disrupted reception, she confidently attacked the ball. Japan utilized multiple offensive options, making it hard for Italy to defend, leading to a late score of 21-19. At that moment, Japan's new captain, Mayu Ishikawa, served but hit the net, and with Italy stabilizing their blocks in the final stages, they took the first set 25-23. Japan's women's volleyball team managed to push the match into the fifth set

In the early stages of the second set, the spotlight was on Japan's libero, Kawai Fumito, who saved Egonu's powerful spikes twice within a single point, showcasing solid defense. Mayu Ishikawa and rising star Yoshino Sato also shared the scoring responsibilities for Japan, but Watanabe stepped up at crucial moments, scoring consecutively and finishing the set with a direct serve, allowing Japan to equalize at 25-16. In the third set, Japan struggled with numerous reception errors,

and Egonu

came back strong, scoring six points in that set. Japanese players had to defend from the baseline, highlighting her immense power as Italy easily won 25-15, regaining the lead in sets. In the early stages of the fourth set, it was still Egonu's time to shine. She varied her attack lines, avoiding brute force and seeking gaps in the opponent's setup and blocks. However, she later struggled offensively, hitting the net and misjudging her blocks. Japan managed to close the gap and won the set 25-20, pushing the match to a decisive fifth set. Japan's women's volleyball team narrowly lost In the decisive fifth set, the score remained tight. Italy briefly led by two points, but

Egonu'sspike was blocked, and a net violation gave Japan a chance to equalize. The match reached a tie at 15-15, with back-and-forth scores of 15-15, 16-16, and 17-17. Italy successfully blocked Watanabe's spike, and with Ishikawa hitting out of bounds, Japan lost 17-19, finishing the match with a total score of 2-3. However, Watanabe scored an impressive 28 points, significantly outscoring Egonu, who only had 16 points, suggesting that this rising star will become a core player for Japan in the future. 回勇单局拿下6分，日本球员需站在底在线防守，可见其力量之大，意大利轻松25：15赢下，再次局分领先。第四局早段仍然是埃格努的表现时间，她线路多变，没有用蛮力扣杀，寻找对方企位与拦网的空隙，但之后她进攻哑火，扣杀落网之余，就连拦网亦错判收手，日本此局从后追上，并以25：20把比赛拖入到决胜局。

日本女排惜败

决胜局比分咬住上，意大利虽一度两分领先，但埃格努扣杀被拦，网顶机会再推出界，令日本有机会追平。比赛进入15平，15：15、16：16、17：17不断拉锯，意大利成功拦下和田扣杀，加上队长石川真佑打出界，日本以17：19落败，总局数2：3败北，但和田全场独得28分，把只拿了1 6分的埃格努比下去，相信这位新星会成为日本未来的核心。